Priscus Attalus was born ca. AD 370 and entered the Roman Senate
early in the fifth century AD. Though a pagan in Christian Rome,
Attalus excelled in eloquence and quickly became a prominent
senator. Early in AD 409, the Emperor Honorius appointed him Urban
Prefect, but this came as the Visigoths, under king Alaric, were
rampaging unchecked through Italy. By mid year, Alaric was outside
the walls of Rome, demanding enormous concessions in land and gold.
Honorius, holed up in Ravenna far to the north, refused
negotiations, leaving the denizens of Rome to face slow starvation
or slaughter. Outraged, the Senate elected Priscus Attalus as
emperor with instructions to come to terms with Alaric.
Attalus readily acquiesced to most of Alaric's demands and joined
him in marching on Ravenna early in AD 410 to force further
concessions from Honorius. Again, Honorius refused talks. With
Attalus' popular support crumbling, Alaric abruptly deposed him in
the July of AD 410 and subjected Rome to a thorough sacking the
following month, an event that sent shock waves through the Ancient
World. Attalus became a rootless camp follower of the Visigoths in
their wanderings. In AD 414, he enjoyed a brief echo of glory when
Alaric's successor Athaulf again proclaimed him emperor in
opposition to Honorius. This time, his brief "reign" ended in
capture by loyalist forces. He was marched in chains through the
streets of Rome, ritually mutilated, then, surprisingly, allowed to
retire to the island of Lipari, where he passed the rest of his
days.

Gold solidi of Priscus Attalus rank among the greatest rarities
of the Roman series, with fewer than a dozen known of all
varieties. This specimen is a particularly rare example of Attalus'
first coinage from the Rome mint; J. P. C. Kent in RIC X refers to
a "single specimen" known in gold (page 138) in the Biblioteche
Nationale Collection of Paris and RIC lists the type, no. 1401, as
R5 - unique. This example, first publicly offered for sale in
2000, would seem to be the second known specimen. Struck in Rome
following Attalus' elevation, it is of unusually fine workmanship,
with a remarkably realistic portrait depicting Attalus with a heavy
double-chin and a docile, upward-looking gaze. The reverse type,
depicting the Emperor spurning a prostrate captive, is a straight
carry-over of Honorius' gold coinage; Attalus would later issue a
different reverse type with a seated Roma, of which there are
perhaps eight to ten known examples.